Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-10
CATARRH.

THE TERM CATARRH is APPLIED TO A
L peculiar disorder of the nostrils and ad
jacent parts, which prevails to all alarming
extent and is productive OF very serious
consequences.
feature is a morbid discharge from the head
varying in its nature at different times.
In some there Is an almost constant flow
of clear, acrid fluid, but oftener an offensive,
purulent or muco-purulent, grcenish-yellcw
matter is secreted, which accumulateB in
the nOstrils or drops into the throat, neces-
stating its frequent removal by blowing the
nose or expectOration, and often by both
processes. sometimes patients feel as
though their head was in a state Of rotten
| ness SO great is the amount of matter dis
| charged and SO fetid is its odor. The pa
| tient is greatly annoyed by the constant
| dropping into the throat of the morbid
matter from the head, and as a recumb bent
position naturally favOrs the flow downward
his rest is frequently disturbed from this
| cause. Many sufferers are obliged to lie With
the head very much elevated in order to
sleep with some degree ot comfort.
In others tough, viscid and offensive
phlegm collects behind and above the soft
palate, in the passage between the throat and
| head, adhering to the parts with gluish tenac
| ity. Its lodgment embarrasses respiration
| and creates a sensation of irritation and lin-
easiness in the affected locality, which gives
rise to constant and almost Irresistible de-
| sire to relieve that discomfort by drawing
the mucus into the throat SO as to eject it by
the mouth. This practice, popularly known
| as "hawking," Is characteristic of catarrh,
and proves as embarrassing to the one af-
fected as it Is disagreeable to those around
him.
Again, the offensive matter hardens and
| deposits itself on the membrane in the shape
of dry, hard concretions, which are dis
| charged by way of the nostrils or throat in
| Jumps or fragments of deep green tint. In
| some cases these incrustations accumulate
| TN IN a n & n 1lQr nh 1y
| in the nose, which obstruets breathing and
produce serious discomfort. So firmly do
these incrustations adhere to the point of
| attachment that their removal usually re-
quires the most violent efforts; not unfre-
quently they have to be torn from the men,
brane. Occasionally solid cast of notable
size is expelled, on which there are generally
traces of blood. but in some cases the cast
presents tubular appearance, being of exact
shape of the nasal cavity. This condition is
indicative of liberation, which, In time,
may destroy the bOny structure of the nose
and produce subsequent fattcning of that
organ.
Cases are occasionally met with in which
thick. viscid,. Shiny secretion coats the
membrane of the nasal cavities and then
putrefies, giving rise to a stencil which is
really overpowering, and sufficiently fetid
to poison the atmosphere of whole room
and there are others in which all the secre-
tions of the membrane are suspended, caus-
ing an unpleasant feeling of dryness, heat
aud feverishness in the head and nose-a
condition popularly known as DRY
The disease speedily extends to the air
cavities of the bones of the forehead and
face, giving rise to distr essing sensation OF
heavy weight or compression over the fore
head, especially in the region above and be-
tween the eyes, and to feeling OF fulness,
heat, irritation, sort ness or pal In the nos
trils near the root of the nose, as well as in
the upper part of the throat, above and be-
hind the soft palate. Sometimes there is
pain obstinately fixed in some particular
head, at the back OF the neck, or behind the
orbits, and, occasionally, pain manifests
itself in the face of so severe a character
that it is frequently mistaken for neuralgia.
The breath Is always tainted, and at timel
assumes an exceeding. fetid and sickening
Odor. In some eases 1t becomes so revolt
ingly offensive as to render the sufferer an
object of disgust to himself as well as to
others.
The nasal membrane is thickened and
| contested, causing the nose to be stopped up
sometimes on one side, sometimes on the
other, and often ON both, giving rise to q
disagreeable, stutfy sensation in the head
and occasioning violent and prolonged
The voice is weak, lndistinct and husky
or of a nasal character, displaying a sort OF
shifting quality. Oftentimes there is a con
tinuous hoarseness and discordance: There
is also sense of irritation in the part
and frequent attempts to clear the throat oi
phlegm, producing the sound 'shem," more
or less fOrcibly. In some cases patients
complain OF an uncomfortable feeling Of
fullness or choky sensation IN the throat
and In others of distressing and almost
constant dryness, for the temporary relief o,
which they have to swallow frequently
Others; again, speak of constant bad OF
nauseous taste in the mouth OF throat.
The stomach generally suffers more or less
and becomes weak and irritable: the appe
tite Is capricious and nearly always bad In
the morning. The patient is languid, unable
to perform mental or physical labor with
the usual facility, Is nervous, depressed In
spirits, at times fearful, timid, agitated and
ory weakened and permanent impairment
seriously threatened.
The mucous membrane soon becomes
morbidly sensitive to unfav0rable infiu
, ences, and in spite of the utmost care be
comes affected from the slightest causes, sc
that at last breath of wind upon the linine
of the nose or throat becomes productive o.
cold, and gives rise to serious disturbances
OF the respiratory organs. Thus the patient
is subject to frequent and repeated colds
each attack aggrayating the disease by Civ
ing 1t new impulse and involving larger
the
gan to organ, invading the throat, larnyx
croaching further and further, it reaches
but a slight impulse is required to send It to
the lungs. Catarrh may, and often does
affect other organs In the body, especially
those contain ng mucous membrane such
as the stomach, bowels, kidneys, etc,
By the employment OF proper inhalatlons
in the form of medicated vapor (not steam
or spray we are able to produce Immediate
and direct action upon the diseased surface
in the pharynx and nasal passages for all
will find its way into the most remote and
intricate cavities, where 1t is utterly impOs.
sible to make fluid applications. BY these
means every case can be cured
Persons desiring treatment by this system
OF practice can use the remedy at home as
well as at our Office, and which will cause
whatever.
l have seen so many of these cases cured
that do not consider any case hopeless un.
less the disease has advanced to the chest
ana that both lungs are seriously involved.
Even then the limitations aid us in dis.
SOWING me mucus and in contracting and
healing the cavities, which nothing else ca,,
ao WIN the same success. The very best